By:Jennifer Marino
Zuar will start on July 1, but his hiring was announced at the Feb. 3 budget work session so his current school district, Pleasantville, could begin the search for his replacement. Zuar will be involved in later budget meetings in Rockville Centre.
The last step before Zuar was hired was a visit by school officials to Pleasantville to observe him in his current job as K-12 music coordinator. Acting arts director Ralph Campanella, PTA Council Co-President Mary Jo Gallo Fox and teacher Andrea Patterson were among the group that went to Pleasantville.
We look forward to having him join us, said Board of Education President Marcia Hirsch. Zuar was also interviewed by the board as part of the process. Hirsch described him as enthusiastic and a creative professional with a wealth of experience. She also gave him credit for wanting to finish the school year in Pleasantville. He wanted to complete projects that were already in progress, she said, which shows that he is a consummate professional.
Zuar has worked in Pleasantville, in central Westchester County, for three years as a teacher and music coordinator. Location was one of the things that motivated him to apply for the job in Rockville Centre. He lives in Brooklyn. He also said that he was looking forward to working with the professionals in Rockville Centre and the students, who I understand are high quality. He has no changes in mind for the district, saying he has to observe first to make sure he isn-t changing things that already work.
Pleasantville is well known for its performing arts program, and the high school-s music theater productions are known throughout the country.
Between 1977 and 1998, Zuar taught elementary-school children at Queens College-s Center for Preparatory Studies in Music as well as high school students. He taught chorus to grades nine through 12 from 1981 to 1999 at St. Francis Prep in Fresh Meadows. There he also conducted classes in general music, Advanced Placement music theory and music history. On the college level, he taught courses at Cathedral College in Douglaston and St. John-s University, and did choral work at the College of New Rochelle.
Zuar has also developed and directed several church-affiliated music programs. He chaired the Archdiocese of New York-s Commission on Church Music and served as executive director of the music office from 1998 to 2001.
Zuar earned his bachelor-s in music and his master-s in music education at Queens College. He received a second master-s at Columbia University-s Teachers College, where he is currently completing his doctoral studies. The subject of his dissertation is the field of music assessment. He has also attended seminars in Italy on medieval music.
